Blue tongue skinks can grow up to two feet depending on different factors such as sex, type, and other parameters, which are involved in the growth of the Blue-Tongue skink. The length of these lizards changes over time. You don’t expect a Blue-Tongue Skink to have been born two feet long!
The size varies depending on the stages of the skink’s life, with a hatchling being just two inches long. The time taken by the skinks to reach maturity is around one to two years, depending on the food they consume. Food is a significant factor in the growth of the Blue-Tongue Skink.
Males vs. Females Size
May it be human or any other animal, the difference in the physical appearance of the two genders is inevitable. But surprisingly, in the case of blue-tongued skinks, the females are longer than the males, with a length hitting up the 24 inches mark on your scales.
On the other hand, Males are slightly slim and weigh more than the other gender.
Does a Blue Tongue Skinks Tank Size Have Any Effect On How Big It Grows?
Like many other myths of the blue-tongued hideous monsters, this also turns out to be a myth that a lizard would grow just the size of the tank that it’s kept in. Enclosing any living thing in a small space won’t affect its growth. The only factor that affects the development of the blue-tongue skink is the food fed to this one.
Furthermore, the cage of the blue-tongue skink needs to be according to the size of the blue-tongue skink for the health and being of the reptile.
What Is The Biggest a Blue Tongue Skink Could Get?
The size of the blue-tongue skink differs from one species to another. The species with the biggest size hits the size chart at around 25-30 inches. This species named Merauke Blue-Tongue Skink is one of the most expensive and challenging to get your hand on it.
The blue-skink usually found in the pet stores is the Northern Blue-Tongue Skink, which grows up to 25 inches in length. These skinks will grow to the maximum size and optimal health by providing a healthy diet and proper nutrition.
What Foods Help a Blue Tongue Skink To Grow?
Just as someone has quoted, “Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.” Similarly, the significance of providing good food and proper nutrition for the healthy growth of Blue-Tongue Skink cannot be forsaken.
In the wild, nature feeds these omnivore lizards as required for growth; however, in captivity, the responsibility comes to the owner to replicate just the right type and amount of food.
A juvenile requires the most nutrients compared to an adult as the skink grows at this stage. The ideal diet of the juvenile must contain 50% of the protein, which means half the diet should be insects, and the other half may have different greens.
It is also essential to keep variations in the proteins you feed your reptile. You may opt for different insects to bring the variation. The high protein intake at this stage ensures good growth of the Blue-Tongue Skink.
The protein ratio to veggies should be reversed as the Blue-tongue skink reaches maximum growth. Protein is required for the rapid growth of the juvenile, which is not necessary as the blue-skink reaches adulthood. 45-60% of an adult skink’s diet must contain fresh greens such as peas, squash, zucchini, whereas the rest of the 5-10% of the diet should comprise fruits and occasional treats.
Another essential factor to consider is the size of food. The food you are feeding the blue-tongue skink should be chopped in small and fine chunks.
In the wild, the blue-tongue skink has the liberty to eat anything that it wants, which fulfills its required level of nutrition. However, it is not always possible to feed all the nutrients to your blue-tongue lizard in captivity. Calcium carbonate supplements which are free of Calcium D and phosphorus, are best to compensate for the lack of nutrients.
A practical method of giving the supplements is to add gut-loaded insects to the diet of the blue-tongue skink. You can also dust the calcium powder on the blue-tongue skink’s food to ensure the reptile’s health.
Staying hydrated is essential for all living beings, but the quantity of water consumption varies from one animal to another. The blue-tongue also requires a good deal of hydration for their routine tasks. However, their water consumption is not a lot. Placing a bowl of water in the cage of blue-tongue skink would be enough to fit its needs.
But don’t forget to change the water frequently to provide fresh water to the reptile.
How Big Is a Baby Blue Tongue Skink?
The size of a hatchling is relatively small and misleading at times. The hatchling size is just 2 inches, which grows to 24 inches in just a matter of a year or two, depending on the diet and nutrients provided. So, the cage of the baby blue-tongue skink should be purchased, keeping the rapid growth of the reptile in mind.
What Size Enclosure Should a Blue Tongue Skink Be Housed In?
The Blue-tongue skinks are larger lizards than others, which means the terrarium you are choosing for them must be enough to provide ample space for this reptile to move and live in. The ideal size of the blue-tongue skink should start from 55 gallons.
Furthermore, the terrarium must be well-ventilated with a mesh top to allow airflow. Other factors such as sturdiness and durability also include selecting a suitable terrarium.
The substrate is the flooring of the enclosure and must be chosen carefully for the blue-tongue skink’s terrarium. While selecting the appropriate substrate, ensure not to use a small material, and the reptile can ingest, as it may cause health complications. The most suitable substrate for the blue skink’s cage would be newspaper, butcher paper, or any nonaromatic mulch.
Enclosure Decorations and Hides
Who doesn’t like to decorate their houses? Everyone wants their home to be decorated with luxurious furniture, soft carpeting, and decorative lamps. Similarly, the cage of the Blue-tongue skink must also be decorated for the emotional health of the reptile and its daily activities.
You may add hiding areas under the heating ends of the enclosure, a high spot to allow the lizard to climb to higher cage points.
Blue-tongue skinks are not very welcoming towards tank mates. You can check this by adding another blue-tongue lizard in the same tank, to which the existing reptile could get aggressive. So, if you are planning to keep two blue-tongue skinks, it’s better to keep them in different terrariums.
Do Blue Tongue Skinks Get Too Big To Own As a Pet?
The size of the blue-tongue skinks could be overwhelming as a pet reptile as compared to others. However, the suitability of keeping them as a pet is inevitable, these pets are friendly and easy to maintain. If you have enough space to keep the reptile, then there won’t be any problem to have Blue-tongue skinks as pets.
Other Considerations to Keep in Mind
Buying a Blue-tongue skink is a lot more than just its friendly nature. It’s essential to check the space available for the reptile, as it can grow up to two feet. Furthermore, the other considerations are the health parameters of the reptile, the heat parameters, substrate, hydration and a lot more.
The blue-tongue skink is a unique reptile with a blue tongue that can be a great reptile pet for its friendly and accommodating nature. If you’re planning to get a blue-tongue skink, you must know how big this reptile could get.
This reptile is relatively larger as compared to other reptiles and can get up to two feet long. So, if you are planning to get one, ensure to have enough space, hydration, heat and lighting arrangement for this reptile.
Finally, keeping reptile pets is amazing as they are a friendly company. Yet, do not forget to keep their health and growth in mind to have a better relationship with your pet.
